Spraying mechanism for coke-ovens.



T. J. MITCHELL &'J. A. MOGRBARY. SPBAYING MECHANISM FOR 00KB OVENS APPLIOATIOK FILED SEPT. 26, 1908.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

llll

MN Q Q & .w W R ,I Am Q W I] Q m Q w H MMR wk 0 Ms s W b f.\\ \N l \N M W N Q from M T. J. MITCHELL & J. A. MGGREARY.

SPRAYING MECHANISM FOR 00KB OVENS.

APPLICATION FILED 832126, 1908.

L. 2 OUT .Jm 4 H ET hm m 0 m2 H m a P J 22272 WZ%% UNITED STATES, EEENT, OFFICE.

THOMAS J. MITCHELL, OF UNIONTOWN, AND JAMES A. MCCREARY, OF CONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRAYING MECHANISM FOR COKE-OVENS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

Application filed September 26, 1908. Serial No. 454,936.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS J. MrronnLL and JAMES A. MCCREARY, citizens of the United States, residing at Uniontown and Oonnellsville, respectively, in the county of Fayette, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Spraying Mechanism for Coke-Ovens, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in spraying mechanism for coke ovens, the object being to provide a means for delivering water upon the coked material while still hot in the oven in order to cool the same.

a By the present invention, while the coke is still in a very hot state in the oven, water is sprayed upon it and it is quickly cooled to a temperature at which it may be safely handled.

Coke ovens are usually arranged in series of many ovens in regions where the coking operation is done upon a large scale and the uick coolin of the material after bein 3 b coked is equivalent to increasing the capacity of the plant very materially.

The present invention comprises a truck or carriage adapted to run upon a track laid parallel with the coke oven doors or openings, which track is also utilized for other purposes. Upon the truck there is mounted one or more telescoping members, and these members are capable of being projected from the truck so as to enter and pass substantially through the oven opposite which the particular member is carried by the movement of the truck along the track. These telescoping members are made to carry pipe sections also telescoping, and upon the front end of one of these sections is mounted a sprinkler head so arranged as to deliver water in a number of streams or jets directly upon the surface of the hot coke within the oven. By projecting the sprinkler head into the oven and moving it over the hot coke and then withdrawing it, and if necessary repeating this operation a number of times, water 'may'be delivered substantially over the entire body of the coke and ultimately cools the coke down to a temperature at which it may be safely and comfortably handled.

As before stated, the coke ovens are arranged in series of many ovens and the material to be coked is introduced at the central portion of the oven to be afterward leveled down until it is of practically the same thickness throughout-the length of the oven and when burned there is within the oven a long block of coke of substantially equal thickness and height throughout. It is of advantage to maintain the coke in as large pieces as may be, and by means of an apparatus forming the subject-matter of another application, the mass of coke is pushed out of the oven at substantially one operation and the coke is delivered to cars or other vehicles of transportation in large masses. To facilitate this operation the coke ovens are built with parallel side walls and a level floor and openin s are provided at each end of the oven so that the mass of coked material is readily pushed out through one opening by a suitable apparatus introduced at the other opening.

Since the material prior to coking is leveled off so as to be of substantially the same height throughout, then the finished product is also in the form of a mass of coked material also of substantially the same height throughout and does not reach the height of the opening at the two ends of the oven. There is, therefore, room left for the introduction of the sprinkling apparatus which in itself need not take up much room. Since the upper surface of the coked material is substantially level the outer end of the telescoping member may be supported upon one or more rollers or shoes so as to take the strain off of the telescoping elements and prevent the same from sagging.

ater may be supplied to the pipes leading to the sprinkler heads from a main laid along the series of coke ovens, and suitable connections may be made with this main to the pipes leading to the sprinkler heads spaced apart sufliciently to simultaneously enter an equal number of adjacent or alternate coke ovens so that the contents of two, three or, more ovens may be cooled at the same time. By this arrangement one operator may cool a number of coke ovens at once thus saving in the cost of labor.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings,--

Figure 1 is a plan view of the sprinkler truck showing a series of three sprinkling mechanisms spaced apart for introduction into three coke ovens. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a coke oven with the sprinkler mechanism shown in end elevation and a telescopic sprinkler carrier projected into kler head, parts being shown in elevation,

and the several members of the telescopic structure being in the retracted position, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, partially in elevation, of one of the glands connecting the pipes and showing the two connected. pipes inextended position.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a truck consisting of two longitudinal members 1, with cross members 2 constituting the framework of the structure. in Fig. 2 there may be mounted upon this frame-work a superstructure consisting of cross members 3 and longitudinal members 4 joined to the main structure or frame by jack screws 5 so that the superstructure may be tilted to bring the telescoping members in alinement with the ovens. The truck structure is mounted upon axles 5, upon which latter are wheels 6 adapted to rails 7 laid along one face of and parallel to a series of coke ovens, indicated by the single oven 8 shown in Fig. 2. This oven forms in itself no part of the present invention and need not be particularly described further than to state that it is provided with end openings 9 and the central dome 10 at the apex of which material is introduced through the opening 11. In this oven is shown a mass 12 of material which is assumed as being already coked, and the operation of coking is so carried out that the coked material 12 is substantially a single block nearly as long as the interior of the oven and of a width substantially that of the oven and a height somewhat less than the openings 9. Supported on the frame 3, 4, is a number of telescoping members, the structure of which is best shown in Fig. 3. One of these members is stationary or fixed to the frame 3, 4. This member is composed of two spaced channel-beams having journaled to them on their inner faces at suitable intervals fianged rollers 16 by means of journal bolts 17. These rollers constitute the support for the next inner telescoping member composed of two spaced I-beams 18,

.19, joined at their bottoms by a connecting plate 20, and the inner telescoping member, there being three in the present instance, is composed of two channel beams 21, 22, joined both top and bottom by plates 23, 24, respectively. The inner member has secured to its upper plate 24 a longitudinal rack-bar As shown 25 while the I-beams 18, 19, have longitudinal rack-bars 26 flanking the rack-bar 25. Arranged to engage the three rack 4 bars simultaneously is a pinion 27 mounted upon a shaft-28, and this shaft 28 has journal bearings 29 on the channel-beams 13 or 14. This shaft is long enough to include the pinions 27 engaging the rack-bars 25 and 26 of all three telescoping members. The inner telescoping member has its channelbeams 21 and 22 provided on their exterior faces with flanged rollers 30 mounted on journal-bolts 31 similar to the rollers and bolts 16 and 17, and these rollers 30 engage the flanges of the I-beams 18 and 19 onone side and theirollers 16 engage the flanges of the Ibeams 18 and 19 011 the other side. The construction is such that the outer stationary member supports the intermediate longitudinally movable member, and the latter supports the interior longitudinally movable member of the telescoping structure.

The longitudinal rackbars are so arranged that when the parts are all in the retracted position-the pinions 27 are in engagement with the rack-bars 25 only, and when the pinions are caused to rotate the innermost member of the telescoping structure is projected until its rear end is caused toengage in any suitable manner the front end of the intermediate member, and the two will travel together until the pinion is in engagement with the rack-bar 26 and then rides off the rack-bar 25, and the interme diate member is projected by the engagement of the pinion 27 with the rack-bar 25. ()n the reversal of the direction of rotation of the pinions 27 the parts are caused to,

telescope again, as will be readily understood.

The outer end of the innermost telescoping member is provided with downwardly-extending wings 32 between which is placed a roller 33 or a shoe, adapted to travel on the upper surfaceof the coked material 12.

Secured under the fixed member of the telescoping structure is a pipe 34 closed at the rear end and provided at the end adjacent to the pinion 27 with a packing gland 35. This gland screws into the open end of the pipe and confines a ring 36 of packing material against a shoulder 37 which may be formed of an annulus made of a bushing ring screwed into the end of the pipe and constituting an abutment for the packing ring 34. Within the pipe 34 is another pipe 38, the rear end of which is formed with an annular flange 39 loosely fitting the pipe 34 and ultimately abutting against the annular shoulder or bushing 37. The front end of this pipe is formed with a packing gland 40, and likewise has a packing ring 41 and a bushing 42 forming an abutment for such ring. Housed within the pipe 38 is still another smaller pipe 43 which may have its rear end formed with a flange like the flange 85, while at its front end it carries a tee-coupling 44 carrying two oppositely-disposed pipes 45 closed at their outer ends and provided with series'of radial perforations 46 by means of which water introduced into the pipes is projected in jets downward against the material 12. These perforations 46 are so located as to cover a considerable area of the material by the spray of water, and also certain of the jets will engage the roller or shoe 33 and prevent the latter from being burned by the hot material over which it passes. The pipe 43 is coupled by means of a connection 47 to the innermost member of the telescoping structure, and the pipe 38 is coupled by a connection 48 to the second or intermediate member of the telescoping structure so that these pipes participate in the movement of the members of the telescoping structure, and the flanges 39 engaging the bushing 37 may serve to couple the innermost telescoping member to the second member, so that theinnermost member will propel the second member to a sutticient distance while being projected to cause the pinion 27 to engage the rackbars 26. There may be enough frictional resistance at the glands to cause the innermost member to maintain its position relative to the intermediate member while being projected, since there is little resistance to the movement of the telescoping members in either direction.

Buried in the ground adjacent to the ovens is a water main 49 from which rise connecting pipes 50 terminating in flanged plugs 51 at appropriate points around the line of travel of the truck. Each pipe 34, or a suit able common connection for all the pipes, is provided with a valve 52 to which may be connected a hose 53 leading from the flanged plug 51. j

Now, let it be assumed that a number of the ovens have been charged and the material has finally become coked so that the ovens are ready to be discharged. By moving the truck into coincidence with a number of the ovens, three in the present instance, with the sprinkler heads in the re-, tracted position, a suitable operation of mechanism to be described later will cause the projection of the sprinkler heads into the ovens above the mass 12 of coked mate-. rial. By turning on the Water fine streams of water are projected downward against the coked material as the sprinkler heads travel over the same, and each sprinkler head may be moved forward and backward as many times as necessary to quench the coke and cool it to a temperature at which it may be conveniently and safely handled. When this has been accomplished, then the sprinkler heads are withdrawn and the truck is moved to the next set of three, more or less, and so the operation is continued through the entire series of coke ovens. The quenching apparatus is followed by an ap paratus by which the coked mass is pushed out of each oven, but this forms no part of the present invention and need not be herein described. The quenching and cooling is performed very expeditiously and so the operation of coking and the reproduction of the ovens for a fresh charge is very materially expedited. The water projected upon the hot coke is converted into steam or gas and will be emitted in large volumes from the ends of the oven. As will presently appear there is upon the truck an operator, and to protect this operator from injury by reason of the hot steam coming from the oven the truck carries in a position to cover the adjacent opening 9 of the oven, a shield 54 constituting a permanent fixture of the truck and coincident with each telescoping member, and this shield carries a hinged extension 55 arranged to straddle the corresponding telescoping member and project upward so as to complete the covering of the opening 9. This prevents an out-rush of steam or gas of such volume as to do the operator any harm.

In order to make the truck self contained and to facilitate the performance of the several operations there is a motor 56 mounted upon the truck, and this motor is of any suitable type, but by preference is an electric motor. Since such motors are all well known structures and the construction of the motor has nothing to do with the present invention, this motor is simply indicated in the drawing without any attempt to show its structure, and it maybe fed with current from a suitable trolley which is not shown and may be coupled up with a suitable controller, also not shown. The armature shaft 27 of the motor carries a pinion 5S meshing with a gear-wheel 59 on another shaft (30, and this shaft carries at one end a pinion ()1 meshing with a gear wheel 2 on another shaft (33, which in turn carries a pinion (i4 meshing with a gear wheel (55 on the shaft 28. The shaft (30 carries a beveled pinion (36 meshing with another bevel pinion (37 on a shaft (58, which latter may carry a sprocket -wheel (39 coupled by a sprocketchain 70 to another sprocket-wheel 71 on one of the axles In order that the motor may be coupled up either to drive the axles or to drive the shaft 28, the gear wheel 59 is not made permanently fast to the shaft but can be coupled thereto by a clutch mechanism 72 under the control of a lever 73, and the gear wheel 62 is coupled to the shaft 63 through a clutch 74 under the control of a suitable lever 75. By this means the motor may be coupled to one of the axles of the truck to propel the same along the rails 7, or may be disconnected therefrom and coupled up to the shaft 28 to cause the operation of the telescoping members in the manner already I described.

members carried by said truck, a series of telescoping pipes carried by said telescoping members, a spraying head carried by the telescoplng plpes, and means for introducing water into said pipes tobe projected by the spraying head against a cok-ed charge- Within the oven.

2. In a spraying apparatus for coke ovens, a spraying means comprising a suitable support, a set of telescoping members carrying rack bars, a set of telescoping pipes, one

being connected to each telescoping member, gland connections between the pipes through which the pipes are movable longitudinally, a sprinkler head carried by the innermostpipe of the set, and means on each smaller pipe for limiting the extent of its projection with relation to the next larger pipe.

3. A spraying apparatus for coke ovens comprising a suitable truck, telescopic mem- 'bers carried thereby, telescoping pipes car ried by said members, a sprinkler head carried'by the telescoping pipes, a prime mover upon the truck, connections between said prime mover and the telescoping members,

and means for connecting the primemo-ver toeither the truck axle to drive the truck or to the telescoping members to operate the latter.

4. In a spraying apparatus for coke ovens,

. a series of telescoping members consisting of a fixed member, and other longitudinallymovable members, roller mountings for the movable members, a series of telescoping pipes each carried by a respective member of the telescoping structure, and a sprinkler head carried by the end of the innermost member of the telescoping pipes.

5. In a spraying apparatus for coke ovens, a series of telescoping members consisting of a fixed member, and other longit-udinallymovable members, roller mountings for the movable members, a series of telescoping pipes each carried by a respective member of the telescoping structure, a sprinkler head carried by the end of the innermost member of the telescoping pipes, and a roller support for the outer end of the innermost telescoping memberand pipe carried thereby.

6. In a spraying apparatus for coke ovens, 5

a sprinkling member comprising telescopic members, telescoping pipes carried thereby, a laterally-extending sprinkler head carried by the outer end of the innermost telescopingmember, a support carried by the outer 7 end of the innermost telescoping member, and guard plates at the ends of the sprinkler head adjacent to the walls of the oven. 7

7. In a spraying apparatus for coke ovens, a suitable truck, mounted thereon, telescoping pipes carried by said structures, one pipe for each member of the structure of the telescoping structure, means for projecting and retracting the telescoping members, a sprinkler head carried by and extending laterally with relation to the innermost pipe and provided With perforations or sprinkling jets directed downwardly, a roller or shoe carried by the front end of the innermost telescoping member,

and guard plates on the ends of the extended ends of the sprinkler head.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as ourown, we have hereto aflixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. MITCHELL. JAMES A. MoCREARY.

\Vitnesses I CHARLES T. CRAMER, JAMEs M. SMITH.

telescoping structures 75 

